Campbell Addy takes us inside the pages of Niijournal’s long-awaited second issue

Since we last spoke to Campbell Addy last year about life after leaving Jehovah’s Witnesses, the photographer’s name has been popping up everywhere we turn, and he’s even partnered with Getty Images to shake up stock photography by making a series of 42 new stock images featuring diverse models straight from the books of his own casting agency Nii Agency.

After reaching his crowdfunding goal, this weekend, the photographer is due to drop the keenly awaited second issue of his independent publication Niijournal with an exhibition that will run from 29 – 30 July at Shoreditch’s Protein Studios as part of the space’s Protein Presents series.

We caught up with the photographer, filmmaker, publisher and some-time poet (look our for 19 in this issue of Niijournal, in which Campbell addresses his own mental heath issues) for a glimpse inside the pages of the new issue.

What was the most important thing you learned from the making of the first issue of Niijournal?
The most important thing I would say I’ve learned was to trust in myself and it’s okay to ask questions. I’d never worked for a magazine nor had I worked in publishing, so it was new territory for me. Initially I was afraid to ask advice and questions for fear that people will perceive me as inadequate.

How has Niijournal developed as a publication since issue one?
Since Niijournal Issue I I’ve developed it to contain an array of contributors. This will allow for the work to truly be diverse. With the access to a variety of contributors Niijournal II is able to showcase work that wouldn’t usually be in reach for our readership/ demographic.

Another way the issue has developed is by expanding the topics we touch on, and how we launch the second issue. Mental health is something I’ve struggled with and throughout the issue it’s threaded via writing and images. We will also be hosting an exhibition with Protein, which invites viewers into the mind of Niijournal.

Niijournal II

Niijournal II

Niijournal II

So what’s new for the second issue?
With the second issue we’ve launched merchandise, Niijournal totes, posters and badges. We’ve also printed twice as much as the last issue so we can reach a wider audience, especially overseas. Aside from that we’ve also created short films that will play during the launch and exhibition with Protein Gallery. The exhibition is most probably the newest and most exciting part of Niijournal II, as I wasn’t restricted to a number of pages when creating content this time around.

Run us through the issue – which features/collaborators are you most excited about?
One photo series I’m in love with is _Oh Barkandji_ by Ihab – they reached out to me last summer with an amazing photo series that showcases their hometown in Australia, which is usually deemed too dangerous. These are stories I wouldn’t be able to access on my own.

I love the interviews as well, as we speak with creative duo Ib Kamara and Kristin-Lee Moolman, Cosima, Izaak Adu and Kelsey Lu. I’ve learned a great deal from meeting and listening to what they had to say and I hope the readers will as well.

But overall I am just excited to share the work of all the contributors, I believe each story/poem/visual is outstanding!

Design studio Córdova Canillas is a constant source of inspiration. We previously featured the studio for its work with Fuet magazine, Creatives’ Club and the time when the team shared an insight into how the studio began. More recently, Diego Cordova and Marti Canillas channelled their expertise into a completely fresh redesign of Fucking Young! magazine.

A new book collating 350 retro posters, pressbooks and stills from the “golden age” of porn cinema is being published by Reel Art Press. X-Rated Adult Movie Posters of the 60s and 70s by Tony Nourmand and Graham Marsh celebrates the unashamedly crude, cut-and-pasted collage artwork made to promote these B-movies and their provocative titles such as Flesh Gordon and Come One Come All.

“Riding the line between brutal exorcism and a poetic sublime, boxing has produced more legends than any other sport of the last century,” so says Anicee Gaddis in an article in Victory Journal which takes a closer look at Ghana’s boxing scene.

Graphic designer Paul Bouigue’s offbeat zine, Le mois d’août is about holidays and how various inanimate objects feel during the summer break. “Actually they are not feeling very cool – they kind of feel forgotten,” says Paul. Inspired by the time he spends alone working at his parents’ house, Paul thought it would be interesting to draw the objects around him that he often ignores. “I wanted to make them look and feel how I was feeling.”

German illustrator Max Löffler’s project Daymare Boogie is “an attempt to understand and grasp this raging current called modern life”. Addressing our imperfections and the anxieties faced by all, the black and white zine looks at the issues surrounding individuals in society. “The idea derives from a project I did before called Psychic Vault. It was about subconscious memory and I had a lot more ideas that would fit in the zine, so I just kept on illustrating,” explains Max. “When I had a decent amount, I stumbled upon 100for10 by Melville Brand Design, which is an artist book project with each book consisting of 100 black and white pages available to buy for 10€. I contacted them and started to work on the illustrations so that they would fit in the concept of Daymare Boogie.”

You can always count on Canadian quarterly publishing venture, Editorial Magazine to bend the rules of art and photography content, with its sharp articles and commissioning wit. Its most recent issue, which editor-in-chief Claire Milbrath describes as the best yet, continues this flair and even includes dogs too.